Luck and Trouble
by FortuneFavorstheFreaky
Summary: Due to unfortunate circumstances, Lucky has fallen into the Underground. Being the youngest in a family descended from Magicians, they know a thing or two about Magic and Monsters...but will it be enough to keep them alive long enough to escape? And can they figure out why Magicians decided to side with humans over Monsters?
1. Fall

Lucky was expecting either to splatter or bounce, but they stuck the landing. The next time they opened their eyes, they found themself planted face-down in a bed of golden flowers, dirt and blood mixing in their mouth. They chipped a tooth in the fall [their tongue is drawn to the broken edge], but they'd take that over chipping any of their more important bones. They rolled over - grunting from the pain shooting through their right shoulder - and stared into the dim, empty space, light from outside trickling in from above.

 _I'm alive._

It's more than they could've hoped for.

They sucked in a deep breath, and it came back out as a laugh. Once they got going, they couldn't stop. It was all just so fucking funny! The brawl in the alley, breaking out of the police station, getting kidnapped, getting shot…to think they literally took the fall for that random kid, that total stranger!

 _What was I thinking? How did I manage to not die?_

The first one was easy: they weren't. Thinking had never been one of Lucky's strengths. Their instincts were strong, but their sense of self preservation left a lot to be desired.

As for not dying, well...they'd always been Lucky.

When their laughter finally died, they rolled their head to look at their right arm, which had fallen over their stomach when rolling over and hadn't moved since. When they tried to wiggle her fingers, they only twitched. Attempting to make a fist resulted in trembling, but the fingers stayed pathetically loose.

Dread rising in their gut, Lucky tried moving the rest of her arm, hoping for better results. It lifted, and they could shift it around, but it was obvious that they weren't in full control of it. It drooped and swung around haphazardly, as if it were numb. They quickly found that the arm's range of motion was pretty limited.

They sat up, letting the arm slump beside them, and looked at the bullet wound in their shoulder. It had punched right through something pretty important, but there wasn't as much blood as Lucky had expected. In fact, it had stopped bleeding completely.

 _Just how long was I out?_ It was probably best not to dwell on it. They may not have been in any danger of bleeding out, but they still needed to heal.

Lucky placed their left hand on the space just below their ribcage and drew out the magic within their SOUL. [Healing had been one of the first things their parents had taught them when Lucky had first developed their magic at around five years old] The soothing energy transferred easily to their hand, which they then pressed to their wounded shoulder. The relief was immediate, and Lucky let out a contented sigh.

 _Magic might be bad for the SOUL, but it works wonders for the body._

It wasn't long before Lucky started to get impatient. Surely they'd healed it enough - or at least to the point where it wouldn't open back up. She wanted to get a move on, already. A way out of their current predicament wasn't going to find itself.

But there was still their arm to worry about. They didn't like the idea of it dangling along beside them, so they took off their flannel and used it to make a sling [more difficult than it sounds, with only one hand at their disposal]. With that taken care of, they started off in the only direction available: forward.

There was a path, and an archway. The next room was lit by a single light from above, though Lucky couldn't seem to find its source. Taking advantage of the sunlight is a patch of grass and a single yellow flower, not unlike the ones they landed on.

 _It must take a pretty determined plant to grow in a place like this._

"Howdy!"

Lucky stops in their tracks, and looks around. Their eyes settle back on the flower, and panic pulses through them. It wasn't because the flower had a face, or that it was talking to Lucky. No, they'd heard plenty of stories from their parents about the creatures trapped below Mt. Ebott. Monsters of all shapes and sizes. They'd come to expect the unexpected. But monsters, like humans and magicians, had SOULs.

Whatever this thing was, it didn't have one. It was empty.

"I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" It continued it's jovial greeting. When Lucky didn't respond, it put on a concerned expression [without a SOUL there's no way to tell if it's genuine]. "Gee, you look kinda spooked...I didn't mean to scare you!"

Lucky tries to stifle their unease and responds cordially. "No, I'm fine. Ya just...surprised me, is all. Nice to meet you. Call me Lucky." They offer their name, and almost offer their hand, before realizing that the flower - Flowey, apparently - doesn't even have a hand to shake.

"Lucky, huh?" Flowey laughs. It seems to find their name way funnier than it is. "You sure are! Especially since you ran into me! You're new to the Underground, right?"

"Yup. Fell down here just a bit ago."

Flowey appears to notice Lucky's injury for the first time. "Golly, are you alright? You sure do look pretty banged up...Don't worry! With the way things work around here, you'll be better in no time!" It pauses when Lucky raises an eyebrow at it. "Oh...you don't know how things work down here, do you?"

 _What a suspicious thing to say._

"Nope."

"I guess little old me will have to show you!"

"OK, sure," Lucky says, tucking their good hand into their jeans pocket, trying to act casual.

"Great! Here we go!"

There's a tug on Lucky's SOUL, and their body lurches forward. They know that feeling - it's their SOUL being pulled from their body. It happened pretty frequently in Lucky's youth, what with all the fights they picked with their fellow Magicians.

Before they can do anything to stop it, their SOUL is flung into the open air in front of them, casting an eerie red glow over the cave walls. It's heart-shaped, and beats in time with their physical heart.

"See that heart? That's your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!" the words are as familiar to Lucky as the feeling of magic in their hands. "Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV." Flowey pauses, and his next words carry a weight to them, "Do you know what LV stands for?"

Of course they do. It was the first - and most important - of the lessons their parents taught them about the nature of the SOUL. It was vital to understand that, once earned, it could not be taken back. So they answer: "Level of Violence."

Flowey's smile freezes in place. "...What?"

"Did I stutter?" They'd cross their arms if they were able, but instead they settle for placing their good hand on their hip. "LV stands for 'Level of Violence.'"

"...How...how could you possibly know that…You've never even been here before...have you...?"

They shrug with their good shoulder. "A mage has to know how the SOUL works in order to use magic properly."

"A...mage?"

"Yeah. Y'know, like, short for Magician?"

"There are no more Magicians," Flowey says matter-of-factly.

"'Course there are. Not tons, but we're still around. 'Specially around Mt. Ebott."

It seems to consider this information for a while. Then, it sighs, defeated. "I see. So there's no point in trying to decieve you, then. You already know what magic attacks look like." Suddenly, Lucky's SOUL is surround on all sides by magic. Flowey's magic takes the form of pellets - or maybe seeds? Not that the difference matters much when they're closing in. "Just die."

Panic floods their senses again, and they shout, "The fuck!? Stop!" They reach out, trying to pull their SOUL back into their body where it belongs - where it will be safe - but it won't come back. Instead, they cast some magic of their own, their favorite spell: Barrier.

A shimmering black-and-white bubble forms around their SOUL, and the pellets bounce harmlessly off of it. Only then are they able to recall their SOUL.

Once it's safely tucked away, Lucky fixes Flowey with a glare and stomps towards it. "What's the big idea, asshole? Ya tryin' to finish me off? Is that it?" they come to a stop right in front of the flower, looming over its tiny, smiling form.

His face splits into a gruesome grin. "Of course! In this world it's KILL or BE killed. Besides, you already know what's going on...and it's no fun if I can't mess with-"

Lucky steps on its freaky little face, grinding their heel into its teeth. "Well I ain't goin' down easy, ya soulless psycho. If it's a fight ya want, then I'll give ya one." They cast their attack, and the cave lights up with white heart-shaped magic. But Flowey's gone before they get the chance to strike, slipping out from under their boot and disappearing into the ground.

"Coward," Lucky grumbles. A quick glance at their bullets, however, makes them think it might've been for the best. The pattern is disorganized, and they're shaking as if they might vanish at any moment. Figures that controlling magic with their non-dominant hand would be more difficult. Lucky lets them fade away.

On another note, would it have even been worth it? Was something without a SOUL capable of holding up against a magic attack? Or would it have been a one-hit-kill? Would you have earned EXP...?

The more Lucky considers it, the more they realize they'd rather not know the answers.

"Hello? Is someone there…?" A light voice calls from deeper within the cavern.

Lucky answers tentatively, "Yeah...over here."

There's another archway on the other side of the patch of grass. Through it, a large bipedal goat in a purple dress appears, huge furry hands clasped at their chest. They look utterly shocked to see Lucky.

"Oh! Oh, my goodness, you're...you're alive!"

"More or less," Lucky responds, motioning to their injured shoulder.

Now this creature was more along the lines of what Lucky had been expecting. Really big, a few human characteristics, and - most importantly - a SOUL. This was a Monster, just like the ones in the ancient stories. Lucky knew right away they had nothing to fear.

The Monster wastes no time in walking over to Lucky. "Here, let me heal you," they offer.

"Uh...thanks…"

In seconds, the monster had pushed aside Lucky's ruined shirt and was healing the wound. "You poor thing…" They whispered. Their healing magic was far stronger than Lucky's, to the point where it was almost overwhelming. What little pain had been left over from their own healing magic was gone for good.

While the Monster's hands were pressed to the wound, the creature awkwardly close, Lucky offered their name. "I'm Lucky."

They blink down at Lucky. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners! I am Toriel."

"Nice to meet you."

"It is nice to meet you, too, Lucky. It's not often that I find a human here. At least...not a living one." Lucky sees a glimmer of sadness in the monster's eyes.

They realize, suddenly, that Toriel must be the reason there were no other bodies at the bottom of that pit, despite how often Mages were 'disposed of' that way. Lucky suppresses a feeling of disgust and changes the subject. "Where is 'here' exactly?"

"This place is called the Ruins. It is all that is left of Monster kind's first home here in the Underground."

"You mean...the monsters are gone?"

"Yes, they left to seek a more...uplifting place to live." She removes her hands from the no-longer-existing wound and takes a step back. "I am the only one who still lives here...aside from a few stragglers and those who dare not brave the elements."

"Sheesh...sounds lonely."

"It can be...but now that you're here, there is much to do!"

"Oh…?"

"Certainly! Just taking a look at you, I can tell you'll need a new set of clothes. You're probably hungry, as well, aren't you?"

"A bit."

"Do not worry! I am an excellent cook. Perhaps, for your first meal here in the Underground, I'll make something special. How do you feel about pie?"

"Who doesn't love pie?"

"Wonderful! It's settled then. You'll be staying with me. Allow me to lead you through the catacombs, dear Lucky. My home is not far from here, but there are many puzzles, and I would not want you to get stuck."

That's just as well. Lucky's not really feeling up to puzzles after everything they've already been through. They could use some good food, kind company, and a place to rest. They decide to worry about getting back to the surface after a good night's sleep.


	2. Ghost of a Good Mood

Lucky wakes in a state of mild confusion. The room they find themself in is unfamiliar and looks like it was meant for children. Being roughly child-sized themself, the size of the beds don't present a problem. It's the size of their borrowed nightgown that is the issue. It's wrapped so tightly around their legs that it's cutting off circulation, and no amount of thrashing and kicking can free them. They sigh, relenting, and sit up to work their legs free.

As they do so, the events of the previous day start to come back - the fall, Flowey, and Toriel. They remember eating their fill of butterscotch pie [although fruit pies are more appealing to them] and passing out in the living room.

It seems their right arm still hasn't recovered. They try to pick up their phone with it [not the ancient flip-phone Toriel had offered them, but the one they fell down with] but their fingers won't close tight enough to lift it. It slips through and plops back down onto the mattress.

Anxiety starts to creep into Lucky's gut, and their good hand goes to the place on their shoulder where the wound was. Something important must've been damaged by the bullet, and if magic couldn't fix it…

 _No, this is fine. I still have a whole other arm to work with!_

They force their negativity down and stand. Grabbing at the purple fabric of the nightgown, they hold it up off the floor, so it doesn't drag, and go in search of Toriel.

She isn't hard to find. The motherly monster sits in the living room, cheerfully humming as she works to repair Lucky's damaged clothes.

"G'mornin," Lucky greets as they shuffle into the room. They take a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace, letting their back soak up the warmth.

"Good morning, Lucky. I hope you slept well."

"Sure did."

"I'm so glad...I was worried you wouldn't be comfortable in that room."

Honestly, they weren't. It was spacious and clean, but the fact that it had once belonged to children didn't sit well with Lucky. But…

"A bed's a bed," they say with a shrug. It's not like they plan on staying with Toriel for long, anyway. Just until they have their clothes back and are fully rested. "I ain't picky."

She smiles and reaches around to take something off the back of her chair. "That dress is a bit big on you, isn't it? I went ahead and made some alterations to this one so that it might fit you better." She hands Lucky a different dress in a slightly darker shade of purple. "It shouldn't take me long to finish fixing up your old clothes...and then we can worry about getting you some new ones that suit you."

They stand, holding the dress up against them to check the length. "Thanks, Toriel. I really appreciate you doing all this for me."

"It's no trouble, really. I'm delighted to have you here!"

That much was pretty obvious. Toriel was downright doting, and even though Lucky was thankful to have someone taking care of them in their time of need...they couldn't help but feel a bit claustrophobic. They'd always had an independent streak, and absolutely hated being coddled. Still, it's not like they could refuse her hospitality. For the moment, there was nowhere else to go.

When Toriel goes to check on the Ruins, Lucky goes with her. They didn't get the chance to explore much the day before, given how tired they were. It doesn't take long for them to fall behind, distracted by all the puzzles and the small monsters wandering around. Good thing Toriel thought ahead and gave Lucky her phone number, just in case they got lost or needed something.

Eventually, they wander into a room filled with spider webs. There's a sign in the center: "Spider Bake Sale! All Proceeds Go To Real Spiders!"

Lucky had never been the biggest fan of spiders, but donuts were a guilty pleasure they couldn't help but indulge in. They use some of the money they got from interacting with Whismums and Froggits to buy six of them and start eating one right away.

 _Not bad. I can hardly taste the spiders._

They exit the bake-sale room to find a ghost sleeping in some fallen leaves. They definitely weren't there a few minutes ago. They're blocking the path entirely, but they look so comfortable, Lucky can't bring themself to move the specter. Instead, they lay down next to the ghost, munching on a second donut.

After a while, the ghost shifts, and says, "Oh...hello...I didn't see you there…"

"No worries. Just thought you looked so peaceful...I didn't wanna wake you."

"Oh...that's nice of you...I'll get out of your way, now…"

"Wait! You don't have to. I'm not in any rush to go anywhere." Despite their reassurance, the ghost seems conflicted. "Want a donut?"

"Ghosts can't eat non-ghost food…"

"Oh. All right. Sorry…" _What the fuck is ghost food?_

"It's ok...I'm Napstablook, by the way…"

"Call me Lucky. It's nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too…"

There's a long silence. Napstablook doesn't seem to be the best at holding a conversation.

"So...do you...come here often?"

"Yeah...there's usually nobody else around…"

"It is pretty quiet around here, huh?" and what few monsters lived in the Ruins weren't exactly chatty. "Oh, do you know Toriel?"

"Sort of...she's intimidating...so I don't really talk to her…"

"You should! She's super sweet. She offered me a place to stay for a few days."

"That's so nice...I didn't realize she was so...nice…"

"Do you live here in the Ruins, too?"

"No...I'm from Waterfall."

"Waterfall? Is that far?"

"No...but it's not really close, either…"

"Oh."

"...It's really nice there...You should visit sometime...or...not…"

"Okay, sure. I'll stop by on my way out."

"Oh, gee...you will? That'd be nice...to have some company…" Napstablook floats into a sitting position, and Lucky follows suit [with the sitting, not the floating]. "I should get going...It was nice talking to you…"

"Same here."

"Will you be here tomorrow, too?"

"Probably. Might take a couple days to get my things in order...but then I'll be heading out."

"Where will you go?"

"Back to the surface. I have some unfinished business to take care of up there."

"Sounds serious...well...I'll see you…"

"See ya," Napstablook says as they vanish into the air like mist.

Lucky returns to Toriel's house before she is done making her rounds and decides to give themself a tour of the place, just to see where everything is. Down the hall from the room they slept in is Toriel's room, fit with a bookshelf, a desk, and a...bucket of snails? Among other things. There's a diary on the desk, but Lucky's not one to snoop, so she leaves it unread.

Further along is a locked door with a sign that says "under renovations." Maybe it's an office? Or an exercise room? Or is that where Toriel keeps all her cooking ingredients? Lucky had looked into the fridge that morning while getting some water from the tap and noticed it was empty...except for a bar of chocolate.

Speaking of the kitchen, it seems so small compared to the rest of the house. Certainly a bit cramped for a monster as large as Toriel [who had to be around 7 feet tall].

The basement is...not what they had expected. It's just a long hallway, with a massive locked door at the end. There was a draft coming from under the door, making the basement the coldest room in the house by far.

Chilled, Lucky returns to the living room to warm up by the fire. They're relaxing with a book on snails by the time Toriel gets back.

"Hello, Lucky! Did you have a good time looking around?"

"Yeah. Your puzzles are pretty fun, and I met a cool ghost. Oh! I also bought some donuts," they gesture to the paper bag sitting on the kitchen table. There are only two donuts left in it. "Want one?"

Toriel's face scrunches up. "No, thank you. I will be starting dinner soon, and I would not want to ruin my appetite!"

Lucky shrugs and returns their attention to the book.

Toriel doesn't leave for the kitchen, however. Instead, she sits down in her chair. "Dear? I wanted to ask you something…"

"Go for it."

"Well...oh, this is a bit embarrassing...I'm having trouble telling how old you are."

"Twenty-two."

Toriel's eyes widened. "...Are...you sure?"

Lucky laughs. "Pretty sure, yeah. I've been keeping track."

"My goodness...I had no idea! You look so young! Even by human standards, I would have guessed-"

"That I was still in my teens? Yeah, I get that a lot. It's the height, I think." They've always been small for their age, and stopped growing at around 5'2".

She deflates, slouching in her chair. "I had been putting together a curriculum for your education, but...well, is it safe to assume that you've already graduated?"

 _Curriculum? Just how long is she expecting me to stay here?_ "Yep. Got my high school diploma, anyway." College isn't really a thing that Lucky's family can afford.

Toriel sighs. "I suppose there's nothing for me to teach you, then." Her disappointment fills Lucky with...something. Guilt? Probably guilt.

"Hey, don't say that...there's still plenty for me to learn. You could...uh...teach me about monsters? Like, your history? I know some stuff, but only the basics. Oh! How about cooking? I suck at that! You could teach me how to bake a pie! Or magic! It'd be cool to learn some magic from a real-life monster!"

The last suggestion catches her attention, and she laughs. "You are so full of ideas! As much as I would love to teach you magic, I'm afraid humans cannot use magic."

"Sure we can!" Lucky proves their point by creating a small heart of white magic in their hand. "See? I'm actually pretty good at it."

Toriel's face has gone slack.

"...Uh...Toriel?"

"I...I did not know that there were still humans who could use magic…"

Lucky lets their magic evaporate. "Why wouldn't there be?"

"We monsters were the ones that taught humans how to harness the magic in their SOULs...I didn't think that humans could teach each other how to do it…"

"...Well, we can. It's not common, by any means. Most humans are against it, actually. But my family - my whole town - is really into it. It's like...a tradition, I guess."

"But...your SOULs…" her concern is palpable.

She's right to be worried. Magic is essentially poison to the human SOUL. While it could be said that all SOULs begin to deteriorate the moment a person is born, that holds more truth for humans with magic. The more it is used, the more damage it does. It shortens the lifespan of humans considerably, deteriorating their SOUL entirely by the time they reach their mid-forties. What's left at that point is nothing more than the empty husk of a human, trapped in a coma they'll never wake up from.

"We don't live long, but we live well," Lucky says, giving Toriel a reassuring smile.

Toriel can't return the expression. Her's is fixed in a grimace of pain and sadness.

She moves from her chair to kneel next to Lucky, taking one of their hands in hers. "My child...I would let you live longer if only I were able…"

"Child?" Lucky yanks their hand away. "I just told you. I'm an adult."

Toriel blinks, shocked by their sudden anger. "I know, I just...It's just something I say, I didn't mean…" her voice tapers off, and there's a long silence between them.

Lucky regrets snapping at her almost immediately. They close the book and return it to its place on the shelf. Then, they turn to Toriel. "Forget it. Why don't you teach me how to cook?"

Toriel stands, "It's a little early, but...sure. We'll make something simple. How does quiche sound?"


	3. Heartburn

It's been three days, and Lucky's about ready to head out. There's only one problem: you can't find the exit. There's a balcony that looks over the rest of the Ruins - a sprawling city-scape that's been left completely abandoned - but it doesn't seem to be a way out. They've backtracked all the way to where they fell, but there's no way they could climb all the way out with their right arm in such a weakened state [something they haven't brought to Toriel's attention, for fear of being babied for it].

So over breakfast [she taught them how to make pancakes], they ask Toriel.

"I can't seem to find a way out of the Ruins. Do you know where it is?"

Toriel was about to put another bite into her mouth, but sets the fork down on the plate and answers, "I was not aware you were looking for an exit, dear. Would you mind telling me why?"

 _Oh no._ "Well, I can't stay here forever. I need to get back to the surface, y'know?" Their words are casual, but they can tell that bringing this up as made Toriel tense.

"Lucky, don't be silly! You can stay here for as long as you want. Forever, if you wish."

 _And there it is._ "That's nice of you, but...I'd like to go home eventually."

She sighs and scoots her chair away from the table. "Lucky. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you regarding your return to the surface."

"What is it…?"

"To get through the barrier, you will need not only your SOUL, but the SOUL of a monster, as well. It takes one of each to pass through. Do you understand?"

Lucky does, and it fills them with a cold dread. They'd have to kill someone to leave.

"I am not trying to keep you here by force, dear. I do not want you to travel all the way to the barrier, facing danger at every turn, just to be disappointed."

"Danger? I thought Monsters were against unnecessary violence?" _is she talking about the puzzles?_ Lucky didn't think they'd be that bad.

"That is no longer true. Over the last five hundred years or so, things have changed drastically. In the beginning, if a human were to fall and survive, they were welcomed and cared for - treated as our own. However...there was an...incident."

The pain is evident on Toriel's face, and Lucky dares not interrupt to ask about this incident further.

"Following, the King declared that humans who fell would be killed, and their SOULs would be used to break the barrier for good."

"But...you'd need seven, right?"

"Yes. One human SOUL for each of the Magicians that trapped us here. With the SOULs, the King can become a God...and destroy humanity in its entirety."

"...All humans?"

"Yes."

"Even humans like me, who can use magic?"

"...Yes. I do not think he is aware that humans retained the knowledge of magic after monsters were sealed underground. I doubt he would be able to tell the difference."

"What would he think if he did know?"

She looks away. "I...I do not know what he would think. I don't know him. Not anymore."

"Toriel…"

"Yes, dear?"

"If there's even the slightest chance that I could change his mind...don't you think...I should try?"

"No. I don't." Her tone is serious. "Yours would be the last SOUL required to bring his plans to fruition. Don't you understand how much danger you'd be facing?"

Lucky shakes their head. "Not really...I might be in over my head, here, but...at least I have magic on my side. That's something they're not expecting, right? Doesn't that give me an advantage?"

"Your magic is weak. Just about any monster could overpower you."

They're taken aback by her blunt response, and they raise their voice to a near-shout. "How do you know that? You've never even seen me use it!"

Toriel stands suddenly, slamming her hands on the table. "Then show me! Prove to me you can defend yourself!"

"Fine!" Lucky moves to cast their magic pattern, but Toriel storms off into the front yard. They realize that she probably doesn't want to wreck her house, and follow her outside.

The two of them stand across from each other, bare feet crunching in the fallen leaves.

"I hope you are ready. I will not be holding back."

Lucky nods. "Good."

They're surprised that Toriel's magic takes the form of fire, but they don't falter. They move around the small flames, dodging as many as they're able. The rest they block with their own magic - white hearts canceling out white flames, both turning to shimmering dust in midair. At the end of her turn, she seems impressed.

"Very good."

They smile, and raise their right hand to attack...but think better of it. The jerky movements of their injured arm invite disaster, and they don't trust their left arm to keep the pattern together.

So they use mercy and skip their turn entirely

"What are you doing? You said you wanted to show me your magic!"

"You said you wanted to see if I can defend myself. Why waste energy attacking?"

She seems to accept this, and moves on to her second turn. The same flame-shaped bullets arc across the yard, this time swinging back and forth, making them harder to dodge. Lucky takes a hit and expects to be burnt...but there's no pain.

 _Well, at least she doesn't want to hurt me._

Still, Lucky aims to impress. So when Toriel reaches her hands in front of her and sends a wave of larger flames blazing toward them, they copy her movements to send out a volley of hearts.

It's not enough.

Toriel's flames burst through Lucky's line of defense, and Lucky leaps out of the way. This time, when they get hit, their skin is seared.

Crouching on the ground, they cast some healing magic to at least keep the burn from getting worse. They'd do more, but Toriel doesn't give them a chance. She's already onto her next attack - a line of flame that quickly turns into a swirling vortex. Seems they were mistaken.

 _Is this really necessary!?_

It closes in on Lucky, and the only thing they can do is throw up a barrier in defense. The black-and-white shield surrounds them, and the fire fizzles out against it.

"That's enough." Toriel lowers her arms, and the feeling of magic in the air dissipates. She walks over to Lucky and begins healing the burn on their arm. "Why did you not use the barrier from the start?"

Lucky looks away from her. They can't admit to Toriel that casting the barrier causes a pain that's SOUL-deep, so they lie. "It takes a lot of energy."

"I see. Well, you will have to get over that. Other monsters will not give you a chance to dodge or run."

"So, you're going to let me leave?"

She sighs. "I will not stop you. You are an adult, after all. I have no right to keep you here, even if I think it would be best." She pauses on her way to the door. "I will get a few things together for you. The weather in the rest of the underground can be...inhospitable. You'll need extra layers. And fewer layers. And water-proof layers…"

"Hold on, Toriel…" Lucky reaches out and grabs onto her sleeve. "There's no way I'm leaving just yet! You still haven't taught me how to bake your butterscotch pie. That's a recipe I've gotta have before I leave!" They smile, trying to make light of the situation.

Toriel seems cheered up, somewhat. "Is that so? Well, it will take me a few days to get all the ingredients together...Are you certain this mission of yours can wait that long?"

"Of course it can. What's a few more days?" Perhaps nothing, to the monsters who didn't even know Lucky was there. But for Toriel, Lucky felt it might mean the world.

That evening [or was it evening? Hard to tell time, when there's no sun] Lucky and Toriel sat by the fire and read together in companionable silence. Dinner had been a crispy casserole, made even crispier by Lucky's failure to pull it out of the oven on time. They were hardly a master of fire magic, like Toriel. Still, it was delicious.

After a while, Toriel closed her book and stood. "I will be back in a little while," she explained, before heading down into the basement.

Lucky wondered what exactly it was that she did down there every night after dinner. As far as they could tell, the huge locked door was the only thing there, and yet, night after night, Lucky could hear Toriel's howling laughter from the top of the stairs.

They knew it was none of their business, but they couldn't help but be curious.

Usually, by the time Toriel came back up, Lucky was already in their bedroom. This time, they decided to stay up and wait so they could ask what was so funny.

I will probably be adding the next part directly on to this one, if it's not long enough to be a standalone chapter. Not sure when I'll get around to posting it, but I'll see if I can get it done by Monday. 3


End file.
